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“Did you find what you were looking for?” Polonius asked me, walking over to me as beads of sweat gathered at my brow.“I wasn’t looking for anything,” I rasped. “I needed air; my room is dank and musty. I didn’t want to get sick.” I coughed a couple of times in genuine need, as Amadeus’s magic was still pressing down on my body.“Hmm, interesting. But I doubt my warehouse is any less dank or musty.” Polonius’s cool demeanor was even more unnerving than his grandiose boasting.“I didn’t…” But before I could protest again, my voice completely evaporated. My mouth continued to move, but it didn’t produce any sound.“Ah, I was curious to see if he had any more lies to spin,” Polonius laughed. “Perhaps I’ll have to threaten to cut out his tongue for it to finally speak the truth.”“I need a moment alone with him,” Amadeus said in a mechanic monotone.“Alone? I’d rather like to watch.” Polonius’s expressionless face twisted into a disturbing smile.“I don’t want my magic to injure innocent
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“You mentioned a bath,” I said. “Does it have a water source? Could we swim out of here?” I wondered if we could make our way to the river that ran along the road and eventually meet up with the stream that fed Angeline Falls.“Just through a spigot.” Amadeus’s voice clenched with pain.“Okay, okay. I have an idea, if we can get to the wives’ rooms, we can dress ourselves up. Surely, they’ll want to help Aria’s father.”I knew I was probably being delusional. I had no idea if Olivia or Grace wanted to do anything for Aria or Amadeus. They had both refused to come with us when we’d escaped the first time. We may have been walking right into a trap, but knowing I could be persuasive and charming at times, I prayed that would be enough. The women were also guarded, but I remembered there was a bathing room attached to their quarters. Perhaps there was a way to sneak in through a servant’s entrance.As we made our way through the halls, I was concerned to see no soldiers guarding the path
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Chapter 17Aria“What is happening to him?” I asked Sire, feeling frantic after seeing Lex being attacked by Polonius.“You knew sending him there would be a risk, Aria,” Sire reminded me. “He’s a fighter; he can handle himself. Polonius can’t just kill him and expect to live. It would be an act of war just as great as you not accepting Polonius’s marriage proposal. Remember, Lex is a soldier, and he’s been through worse.”Though he was trying, Sire’s words weren’t calming me down.“Think about the bond you have with him,” Sire added. “You can feel him and sense if he’s in danger.”Sire was right. I could feel Lex’s wolf, and I had a clear sense of his well-being. He was stressed and angry, but he wasn't in peril. He wasn't going to die. There was no way Lex could have stayed in Polonius’s castle and not be challenged by the warlord. I had to trust that Lex was a good fighter and soldier. That he was capable of keeping himself out of harm's way.“Can you help me open the portal again
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She had a good point, but I wasn’t at liberty to send troops into Brahman’s Peak without definitive proof of Lex being in danger. King Helix could, however. Lex was his son, so he could justify the mission as a diplomatic one. If an airship came from Onyx Rah, there would be suspicions raised.Whatever Lex was enduring, he’d have to face it through the night.“Then I’ll go,” Bindi offered after I explained the predicament to her.“I need you here,” I countered. “We have citizens arriving hourly, and many more are rumored to be on the roads as we speak. I need you here. I’m supposed to rule as queen, but to be honest, I’ve only ever lived in royal houses, and I don’t know how to run one myself. I kindly ask that you stay to support me.”“Of course, yes. We are a military state, after all. Our men and women at arms should be seen and known. Any soldier will consider it an honor to embark on this mission.” Bindi straightened up. “And I’ll gladly support you, until my death.”“Thank you,”
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“Alice, the mason’s wife, brought food and seeds for planting crops,” Gabrielle said. “She had several loaves of bread, an entire flat of eggs, and smoked meat. We truly had a feast this morning. She said the wheatberries were salvaged when her grandparents fled the attack on Onyx Rah. They planted them, and the bread and kernels she’s brought are from that crop. Amazing, isn’t it? A piece of Onyx Rah has been returned.”“It is amazing, Gabrielle,” I agreed with a smile. “I’m looking forward to breakfast.”With that, I made my way to the dining room.Chapter 18AriaI walked into the dining room to find Halo sitting with a guard standing behind her, eating by herself. However, she didn't seem lonely as she was surrounded by papers, maps, and blueprints. I walked over to the table, bare but for a few chairs. The hearth had a fire that I assumed she had set with her magic.“Good morning,” I said as I took the seat across from her. “Did you see there are actually people in the castle thi
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“I am at your service, Your Majesty,” Bindi said as she bowed her head. “I can have troops to send your letters and transport the donated food. And we can send out hunters to find fowl and game.”“Thank you. I understand your passion and your fear, but we must do what’s right for the people,” I told her, then continued on to meet the crowd.We had not set up a dais or any kind of elevated space for me to get the crowd’s attention. So, I decided to climb up some of the debris that was still piled on the side of the castle. Two Royal Guards climbed up with me. As soon as I was at a higher elevation than the people below, they began to take notice.“Good morning, everyone,” I started. “I am Queen Aria Blackbane. My ancestor was Duke Ellis Norvali. Some of you may remember him as the beta to King Arnaut Prit and his wife Zerah Prit. Myself and Halo Goldlace, who is a descendant of the queen and the kingdom’s mage, Harlance Valian, have brought Onyx Rah back to you.”At the mention of this
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“And he'll soon know where your weaknesses lie. All I ask is that you consider the danger in having someone so close to Polonius too deeply ingrained in your court.”While Sire’s concerns were valid, I wasn't ready to acquiesce to them at that point. “Thank you for your advice,” was my only response.“For your sake, I hope you heed it.” He took a breath. “Let’s get started. We have a long day ahead of us, and I want to make sure that we have an advisory council in place as soon as possible.”The day progressed without too much chaos. Many people with impressive skills and excellent experience were Midnight Moon Pack descendants. We were able to find so much of what we needed, and people were ready to get right to work. For the first time in days, it felt like the kingdom was actually coming together.We worked for the entire day and well into the night. While I was very busy and preoccupied, thoughts of Lex and his ordeal haunted me. Since Sire hadn’t used his magic yet today, I plann
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Amadeus sat in the cell next to mine, delirious and shackled to the wall because he kept magically lighting things on fire. He was still making puffs of smoke, but they weren’t as dangerous as the blazes he’d set before.I hoped Aria was okay and wondered if she’d gotten word of my incarceration. I hoped she hadn’t, because all she would do was worry.Just as Amadeus was screaming and railing against his restraints again, Polonius walked in.“I told you not to leave your room,” Polonius chided me as he approached my cell.“Since when does a territory lock dignitaries in their rooms?” I asked, wishing I had something to murder Polonius with.He laughed. “Let’s be honest, shall we? You know as well as I that you’re not a dignitary in Brahman’s Peak, and so I need not treat you as such. True diplomats don’t steal from their hosts.” His voice turned hard.“You don’t have proof that I stole anything. Because I didn’t,” I argued, still pacing to temper my rage.“We are still looking for the
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